I’ve had my eye on The Touryst since last year when my friend (and State of Play co-conspirator) Rupert suggested it as he had enjoyed playing it so much. A few weeks later and I was watching a Digital Foundry episode on the game – naturally focussing on the more technical aspects – and I was completely sold.
Last week, I didn’t just play the game. I inhaled it.
Animal Crossing New Horizons was released on the 20th March 2020 and swooped onto the Nintendo Switch just as the COVID 19 pandemic was really taking hold of the world. The world needed a comfort food game and Nintendo delivered.
Presented in a visual and gameplay style most reminiscent of cult SNES classic Earthbound, Boot Hill Bounties is a game that sucked me in far deeper than I would have expected and I loved every moment of it.
An interactive visual novel set in White Wolf Publishing’s ‘World of Darkness’ made most familiar to gamers by Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines, a cult title released back in 2004 by Troika Games, Vampire the Masquerade: Coteries of New York (VTM:COTN) is a visual novel with light adventure elements in the form of choices that the player can make. Whilst this means the game is quite casual in nature, the brevity of the writing and length of the game (3 hours or so) means that it feels accessible and doesn’t get too bogged down in dense text. On the other hand, those who are used to such heavy-duty visual novels may feel short-changed here.
In Alwa's Awakening, YOU will use your magic staff and progress through a large interconnected world where you'll solve puzzles, fight enemies and defeat bosses in order to help free the land of Alwa. Explore and uncover the secrets by using your platforming skills in this challenging and charming 8-bit adventure game.
A highly enjoyable, over the top Metroidvania with a heavy focus on action and loot. Whilst Dead or School is affected by some technical issues, the fact that this was made by a three-man development team and is so fun and addictive to play is definitely cause for celebration.
Imagine there was a video game console that sold 157 million units... Well actually there is a console that sold over 157 million units and its name is the Playstation 2.
In HyperParasite you are Invading a grime encrusted dystopia straight out the eighties, you're the monster the authorities warned about. Dragging your bloody tentacles on the greasy asphalt, you snatch body after body.
You are the HyperParasite; an evil alien with a bone to pick with humanity…just because it’s fun.
The war between Demons and Angels takes you to hell and back in Devil’s Hunt.
Play as Desmond in this third-person action-adventure game, as he discovers his demonic powers with the fate of the world hanging in the balance of the greatest conflict known to humankind. https://store.steampowered.com/app/887720/Devils_Hunt
When you think of “In Other Waters” on the Nintendo Switch you should imagine a text adventure-style video game overlayed with a simple but elegant UI that is steeped in atmospheric light puzzle-solving mechanics along with an intriguing storyline and an emerging control system.
In Gearstorm you are an elite Exomarine dropped on an alien planet.
Don't just survive – make war! Build or dig a base, mine for resources, team up with other Exomarines, make AI clones to work for you, and use advanced military weapons and vehicles to dominate other players, hostile species, and other inhabitants or just run away from dinosaurs just like I did!
Livonia is the brand-new DLC map for DayZ, allowing players to experience the hardcore survival hit in a whole new environment. Up to 60 players on a server will be tasked with a single goal: survive this new unfamiliar land for as long as possible, by any means necessary.
It seems strange to be writing a preview of a game that is released but, as the game takes 400 days (real-time) to complete, it felt the only way to proceed.
The game begins with an underground giant king creating your character (the Shade) from the palm of his hand and tasking you to watch over him for 400 days as he sleeps. Following this, he promptly drops off and you are left to your own devices, wandering the labyrinthine caves and rooms that make up ‘The Kingdom’ and listening to him gently snoring.
The Coma 2: Vicious Sisters is a Korean survival horror-adventure.
Venture from your deserted school to survive the horrors of the night.
Explore the surrounding Sehwa district and uncover the shadow realm's dark secrets. Use everything at your disposal to avoid a demoness hellbent on killing you!
A short introduction to the smoky, rain-swept world of Backbone, this prologue can be completed in under an hour and gives a high quality and a scene-setting look at what we can expect in the full game.
Videogames Mental Health Charity, Safe In Our World (www.safeinourworld.org) and Seven Squared recently announced an agreement to collaborate with the charity directly benefiting from the partnership.
The first in a series of collaborations is with The Oliver Twins, with the seminal character, Dizzy appearing on limited edition tee shirts.
Additionally, Seven Squared will be donating a portion of its profits to Safe in our World, having already donated significantly from all Tee sales to date.
In Sky Racket it’s just you, a stylish scarf, a laser tennis racket and a horde of fluffy enemies trying to blow you up back to the ground. Mixing the classic genres of Shoot ’em ups and block breakers, Sky Racket is the world’s first “Shmup Breaker” Play as RacketBoy or RacketGirl, guardians that have been chosen by the Capybara Goddess to save your galaxy from the paws of a destructive tyrant genius. GAME LINK: SKY RACKET
Wunderling is a pixel-art puzzle platformer with a deviously casual approach and is well worth your time.
Set in a colourful, 16-bit world, Wunderling casts you as a potato-ish henchman of the land’s ‘evil’ witch, a broomstick-riding little tinker that spreads the gospel of her wickedness through the medium of an anthropomorphic cow with a TV camera strapped to its back, natch. At the start of your quest – which will take you across many dozens of levels – you are stomped by the hero, Carrot Man, on his way to rescue Princess Pea (any similarities to existing video game characters are purely coincidental) and brought back to life by the witch and told to stop Carrot Man at all costs, thus your adventure begins.
It’s always impressive to see what extremely small development teams can achieve on a budget, especially when tackling a genre that is usually associated with both expanse and expense. An Action/RPG hybrid presented in third-person view that takes its cue from a mashup of both Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines (mood, lore and setting) and the Diablo series (heavy focus on loot and dungeon crawling), it aims high but the focus on the more repetitive aspects detracts from the more impressive touches that Bloodlust 2: Nemesis has to offer.
Rune Factory 4 Special has been Re-released on Nintendo Switch to keep fans sated until the 2020 release of Rune Factory 5, this port of a 3DS game from 2014 (in PAL regions, at least) is a solid title that does stand out as a little different from similar games by balancing out various gameplay mechanics such as farming, light adventuring and combat. This results in a fun, if not particularly deep gaming experience.
Sisters Royale is a fun fast-paced shooter if you can get past the crazy storyline and somewhat suggestive comments made by the sisters.
It is the first game in 12 years from the team Alfa System, who made Castle of Shikigami III in the Castle of Shikigami series. If you are familiar with the series then from the off Sisters Royal will look and feel familiar, if you compare the two games they look and feel the same. From the vertical scrolling shoot-em-up style and the anime style stills of the characters that tell the story and what a crazy story this one is.
Metal Unit is a sprawling side-scrolling platformer with roguelite features. Play as Joanna, a soldier on a mission to capture her treasonous sister. Wear the M-Unit 11 suit and battle against monsters and aliens while uncovering the truth about humanity.
Championship Manager 2 has been on my list of games to play on YouTube for years now and finally, I have pulled my finger out and taken the job of Nottingham Forest Manager.
Come see how my season unfolds in these short sharp Champ Manager vids.
In Barn Finders, you will search for valuables stashed in abandoned barns. Take part in storage auctions, bid high and buy yourself a chance to find exclusive items hidden in the past.
Paddle your balls! Explore the vast hyper galaxies in the year 3000 or so to become the ultimate paddle champion of love and paddle skill. Upgrade your stats, learn new abilities, cast devastating spells and put someone's underwear on your head while riding a swamp beast! Fulfil your destined purpose of romancing paddles through the ancient art of video table tennis!
Plus! the first video table tennis role-playing game to have full voice acting by Mark Meer (Commander Shepherd, Mass Effect).
In Pixel Express you operate a railroad by switching rail junctions. Your goal is to deliver cargo and avoid collision between trains. Make your journey through 4 different seasons spiced up with unique chiptune soundtrack.
Casting the player in the role of a sentient ‘spark’, 7th Sector is set in a futuristic, drizzly dystopian city and sees you travelling through the cables and systems that power the various apartments and factories in a bid to get to the top of the tower in the ominous, titular sector.
Championship Manager 2 has been on my list of games to play on YouTube for years now and finally, I have pulled my finger out and taken the job of Nottingham Forest Manager.
Come see how my season unfolds in these short sharp Champ Manager vids.
Curse Of the Dead Gods. Seek untold riches, eternal life, divine powers – Your greed leads you to this accursed Temple, a seemingly-infinite labyrinth of bottomless pits, deadly traps, and monsters…
Streets of Rage 4 publisher and co-developer Dotemu recently announced that the iconic series’ return will support two-player online and up to four-player offline co-op when it launches this spring (good)
Championship Manager 2 has been on my list of games to play on YouTube for years now and finally, I have pulled my finger out and taken the job of Nottingham Forest Manager.
Come see how my season unfolds in these short sharp Champ Manager vids.
Out Of Space is a strategy local and online multiplayer game about moving into a new home with your friends - in space!
Clean up, furnish the rooms and work out housekeeping systems, all while trying to get rid of pesty alien critters that are ruining your plans for a dream home.
Being the kind sort I am - and knowing the amount of time Faye has spent listening to orchestral versions of classic video game music on Spotify – I managed to snag a couple of tickets to this London Video Game Orchestra show when they were released at the tail end of 2019 and booked our hotel and travel plans way in advance. I knew that the LVGO was an amateur orchestra who had formed in 2019 and had only previously played two shows, beyond that, I had no idea what to expect. I also admit that this was my first time seeing a live symphony orchestra, my only prior experience being seeing smaller orchestras playing alongside rock bands and vocalists so I was really excited to drink in the ambience.
Championship Manager 2 has been on my list of games to play on YouTube for years now and finally, I have pulled my finger out and taken the job of Nottingham Forest Manager.
Come see how my season unfolds in these short sharp Champ Manager vids.
Katana Zero is set around a Samurai Assassin type character who can shift through time to kill targets. It’s a 2D action platformer developed by Asjiisoft and published by Devolver Digital. It seems to take something from the Hotline Miami collection, not a lot, but I see some similarities in the game. The game is very fast-paced so be ready to play as a fast, time travelling Samurai with a complicated background.
It Came From Space and Ate Our Brains is a stylised voxel-based shooter that was originally released on PC in 2015 and is reminiscent of titles such as the mighty dead Nation and has shades of Neon Chrome. It Came From Space and Ate Our Brains is a super-smooth and addictive isometric game that revels in its local co-op, split-screen glory but whilst it’s a solid and fun title, its basic premise and singular focus may not be to everyone’s tastes.